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6.30.2013

Ion Brights is an inexpensive semi permanent dye. It's around 5 bucks for a whole tube. You don't mix developer with this! It's all ready to go. The dye isn't all that creamy by itself. It's much easier to apply if you mix a bunch of conditioner in it. It will dilute it but as long as you don't see a drastic change of color in the mixing bowl, it'll pretty much be the same color. Probably start off brighter :)

I love that I could spend $15 for 3 of these tubes compared to Manic Panic's $9-$13 per jar. I ended up using a tube and a half for my whole head! This color bled out every time I washed my hair (no shampoo!) and while it didn't stain my face or fingers as badly as other dyes, it definitely stains sinks. Have a soft scrub ready or be prepared to bleach yo sinks.

I read other's experiences first and a couple of people said that you should leave this dye in for at least 3 hours. Most of these semi permanent dyes have instructions that say to leave it in for 20 minutes but NEVER do that. More is better in this case. Sometimes the color needs hours to take in and hold. Remember you could always leave veggie dyes in and wrap your hair up overnight for a wonderful bright surprise. Other times you may need a second dye session to get the results you want.

The red started off as this gorgeous dark color. In a matter of a few days it had faded on it's own. Basically it got brighter without being shampooed, wet or hanging out in the sun. In under two weeks I had that hotpink hair. Redyed the red a couple of more times and experimented with/without conditioner washes but it always faded at the same rate. It's not a completely bad thing since you still get a vibrant color, it's just not the dark red that I wanted!

I personally prefer red dyes that fade on the orangey side. So this dye gets a 3 out of 5 from me. It's still a pretty good dye for that awesome brightness and if you prefer that pinky red, then this color is for you. You'll have two colors in ONE! This may be considered a cheaper alternative to RAW's Ruby Red but this is definitely a brighter pink. I don't know if it fades anything beyond that since it stayed bright for me. I wonder if it can go pastel or peachy?

6.23.2013

This plum tree has turned into a beast. Does anyone remember how pretty it was? I'm going to try to use it as a backdrop from now on. I'm going to kick my butt into wearing jewelry and my ~other~ shoes this summer! I haven't worn these wedges in so long. It's strange to see things from a slightly higher perspective...

I love how comfy and strechy this shirt is but it's SO see through in person. I didn't notice how ashamed I was of my chest until I was limiting myself with clothing or trying to minimize it. Back when I was 16 and had a smaller chest, I had worn a triangle top dress and later received several complaints to cover up. I wasn't in a good place with my appearance and to be called out like that made me feel bad for a long time. There were many girls around me with smaller chests and they had lots more skin/cleavage showing. Ever since then I am anti-cleavage, feel uncomfortable in swimsuits and prefer the circular shape to the tops I wear. It seems ridiculous to be complaining about this but... Grass is always greener on the other side.

Who else hates paying normal price for a piece of clothing that's sheer? That's the number one reason why I don't shop at malls anymore. Why am I paying more for less material/sheer? Oh look just bought a cute shirt that you can see my bra and navel through it. Noooooooooo.

I was setting up the tripod when I saw this. Cute loner lemon.

I think it's time to figure out what I want to shoot specifically. I am too open with shooting any kind of portrait that I haven't been able to focus on one thing to improve it. For now events and weddings are not for me. Definitely not equipped for that. I have the most fun with shooting fashion, makeup and boudoir. I want them to feel and see how beautiful they are. I hope that can be seen in the session we did last weekend. Pictures will probably be done in a week! You can get the first looks here :D

I'll love to find fashion bloggers in my area to steal and photograph but I don't see us traveling far yet! :\ I know a couple of you live in or nearby San Francisco but it's one hour away for me and I really don't know the area to find photo locations. Which reminds me.. we came home last night from watching Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie & Jay & Silent Bob Get Old!! I've been listening to the podcasts for over two years now so it was super exciting experience. Kind of mad at myself for not remembering to check out the Bay Bridge.

I thought about doing a blogger meetup but I'm super awkward and quiet. But it would be cool to hang out, eat yummy food, go thrifting and have photoshoots.

You can see that Bella gets startled easily sometimes. Loud sneezes or paws that are too far away to actually hit. POWWWW!

I have another giveaway coming up (probably tomorrow!!) What a great start to a summer, right? :D Have you entered into Firmoo's yet? :) Google Reader is ending in a few days so remember to switch over to Bloglovin! ♥

6.20.2013

To be honest, I haven't been dressing up much lately! I have been lazy in that area but getting things done and becoming obsessed with Korean dramas. It's crazy to say that I haven't crocheted in TWO weeks. I'm not sure if I even crocheted daily but going a few days is not normal for me anyways. Worked on this brown fox today and took off the arms haha. I still haven't taken proper photos of my sewing squishies, maybe soon?

I don't know why I'm so into foxes lately! I am definitely going to make more and sew more of those babies. I'll love to experiment with more colors. If only our craft stores carried more than a few selected colors. Someone had tweeted about Walmart. It made me jealous because I actually went there earlier looking for some to find a small box in the corner with ONLY red felt LOL. What the poop?! Where do you get your felt squares?I want a variety of shades, skin colors and lots of black!

The amount of amigurumi/plushies I've made in over a year has come to this. The leftovers or the ones that never made it on the interwebs. They just stay in a bag so I may list each one up! I seriously don't even have space for my craft supplies so I can't have any cutesy plushies or anything yet. Puppies would chomp those up... :(

My shop has some new items. Blogger templates, presets and some amigurumi! I would LOVE some input on any of those.

I would love to come up with more colorful or minimal layouts.. but I need to be inspired by a color, font or design haha. I am a sucker for black and white minimal layouts that you could customize yourself. It's just too soon for me to change my layout! haha.

6.17.2013

My HG foundation was Revlon's Colorstay Foundation in Combo/Oily. I must have full coverage kind for uneven skin, pink cheeks and scars. I've probably tried 5 shades and nothing fits me exactly. That didn't matter because the coverage was better and lasted longer than most. Now?

I have found CoverGirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation!!

Yep, I was skeptical. I have never worn CoverGirl foundation before and anything that says "3 in 1" is usually a liar. Except for this one. I've done my research through a couple of written reviews, pictures and youtube videos. HONESTLY, I GOT WAY TOO EXCITED but it actually holds up and it matches!

There's not many darker shades for this one but there's another 3-in-1 called the Queen Collection. Fabulous is for primer, concealer and foundation. Queen says it has concealer, foundation and powder.

Here's a before and after for coverage:

I'm wearing Buff Beige 825. Other NC20-25's like myself have worn it! I believe it matches me quite well. Consistently is not thick like Revlon's but it blends much easier and it's buildable! The pump is the added plus. The SPF for this one is 20 and the last photo was taken with flash. Not too bad, right?

It lasts long and doesn't feel heavy. It doesn't really have a scent to me so this is already my favorite foundation. The real test is how well this holds up during firey hot weather but this week is not it haha. Can we just skip the it's an oven heat?

6.03.2013

Hello! I took these photos the other day~ The lighting was a little crazy with this wig. Maybe another day :) I bought this skirt in a color I don't normally wear. PINK. This was MONTHS ago and I've only worn it twice. I want one in teal or a lighter mint...

I don't know why pink seems like an impossible color for me to wear but it just is. I still like it! It's a good length for me. Might be the cutest item in my closet. It's quite stretchy and comfortable but it just doesn't fit me the way I want it to. I wrapped a hair tie in the back. I prefer a tighter feel and I like to wear skirts at the high waist. Can I fast forward with my slow developing sewing skills and fix this? (if it's possible, I really don't know..)

I found out why it doesn't fit :D I decided to lay off the drinks and eat healthier back in January. We also went on a couple of hikes while the weather was nice and I could see my stomach slowly getting back to what it used to be. For us shorties, ten pounds can make a huge difference! Bye bye beer belly haha. It's been a couple of months of no visual change but I am CONTENT! I think it's time for me to get into yoga again. :)

I'll be sharing a new pattern and giveaway sometime soon. Please let me know if you would want to be part of the giveaway. I need a couple of more people! Ad sizes are welcome too :)

6.02.2013

This is a basic step by step guide on how to create your own amigurumi. I have plans to make amigurumi design progress videos soon since some people learn better from those.

1. Crochet Basics

Practice getting your tension/gauge just right. Use different yarn weight and hook sizes to find what is best for you. You need to make sure your stitches are even and tight enough that stuffing isn't showing through.

Being familiar with your gauge can also help you decide what yarn weight and hook size to use to create an amigurumi of a certain size.

Practice single crochet, working in front loops only, working in the back loops only, increasing, decreasing, working in rows, working in spiral rounds, and working in joined rounds.

2. Basic Shapes

Look up how to create basic shapes. Following an exact pattern isn't necessary, you just need to understand the construction.

For example to make a sphere or circle: You need to increase evenly around until it's about as wide as you want it to be. Then you crochet even (just single crochet rounds, no more increases) until it's a few rounds from the height you want it, and then you decrease evenly around.

3. Sketch Your Ideas

Now it's time to get your ideas on paper. Your sketch will need to be simplified to basic shapes that you can crochet. Keep note of how big you want it to be, colors, materials/techniques you'd like to use, and such. I recommend drawing it out on another piece of paper in the size you'd like to make it so you can use it as a reference as you crochet along.

4. Advanced Techniques

After you figure out what you want to make, you might want to add in a special feature that may require using a more fancy stitch. Look up more complex stitches and advanced techniques such as tall stitches (double crochet, treble crochet), decorative stitches (popcorn stitch, surface crochet), color changes, and embroidery.

5. Crocheting Your Prototype

Start crocheting up your idea. This is just a test so it's okay if it's not 100% perfect or you're not exactly sure what you want. You can redo it later and make modifications to your pattern. Experiment, do deviate from the norm, and you'll be designing your own amigurumi in no time.

Welcome

Crissy. I'm a crochet designer and digital artist for fun. In my past, I was a photographer and graphic/blog designer. These days I'm focused on anime and video games. I'm a crochet & knit designer, web designer, and illustrator. I run Adorably Kawaii